


The French Quarter

by MaddestMaid3n



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: 1940s, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Film stars, movies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23564803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddestMaid3n/pseuds/MaddestMaid3n
Summary: “I couldn't care less that he is a Mikaelson or even if he were Brando himself,” She snapped at Stefan over the savory meal, ignoring the grumbling in her stomach because her wrath must be fed first. “He is an insufferable egomaniac and I will be unable to read one line before throttling him,”
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 38





	The French Quarter

“I couldn't care less that he is a Mikaelson or even if he were Brando himself,” She snapped at Stefan over the savory meal, ignoring the grumbling in her stomach because her wrath must be fed first. “He is an insufferable egomaniac and I will be unable to read one line before throttling him,”

He sighed, not entirely surprised by her response. In fact, Damon had bet him that this would be exactly the way she would react _sans_ the drink throwing. His brother was always trying to bring the melodrama from the screen into fruition, but thankfully Caroline wasn’t one of his B-movie actresses. 

“I understand your hesitation, but you have to be practical. Whether it’s right or not, he is the biggest name out there right now. We’re lucky his schedule was free,” At this, Caroline scoffed. “Besides, the critics have been clamoring for you two to collaborate for years. The two of you together, that’s what the people want to see,”

She hated that he was right. Normally, the thought of working with an international heartthrob would send her straight to set with fresh nails and bright eyes. However, there was nothing normal about Klaus Mikaelson. It came as no surprise that he ruled the business to anyone that knew about the regale family legacy he was part of. Esther and Mikael established the biggest production company in all of Hollywood. The Mikaelsons were the closest thing to old money in a still nascent business.

One one of the most-sought after actors, Klaus has stolen hearts more often on-screen than off. He was irascible, petty and unbelievably stubborn. It was his redoubtable skill that kept his schedule booked to the brim with film after theater performance. 

A smattering of applause waved through the restaurant. From the back of the room, the singer bowed graciously before signaling to the band for the next song. As the trumpet sounded, she cut into her steak and the music played as she chewed and tried to digest the situation. Stefan did the same, watching his friend with a careful look. He was worried that one of these days Damon would be right and he wanted to be able to dodge a flying glass of Chardonnay. 

Patting her lips with the cloth napkin, she said, “I hate him,” 

The statement was matter-of-fact, less biting than the first reaction, so Stefan took this as progress. “I know, I know. But, I have to be honest Caroline, the company can’t afford to look this gift horse in the mouth.”

Concern immediately extinguished her fury. He had alluded to financial troubles once before, more than a little tipsy on a ride home from a premiere. Stefan never brought it up again and Damon’s ease on set convinced her it was simply a one-off growing pain for a nascent production company. “How bad is it?”

The soft tone of her voice eased a burden from him and his shoulders sagged. “We need a blockbuster,”

She closed her eyes to contain all the worries that rushed in her head. A beat passed and then two. The singer belted a final note and Caroline opened her eyes in defeat, “Fine. What’s the script?”

……………………..

“Oh God in Heaven, the Salvatores?” Rebekah made no effort to hide her disdain. Sprawled across his couch, his sister had tossed her gloves at him when he first announced the news. A ballet dancer herself, she mixed quite frequently with the Hollywood elite. Fresh faces always looked to seem more refined than they actually were and her acquaintanceship was in high demand. What signaled culture better than friendship with the prima ballerina? She had the poor fortune of meeting the Salvatores those years ago, one a sickening flirt and the other a downright bore. “Are you burning through cash that quickly?” 

He gave her a toothless smile before answering, “You confuse me with Kol,” 

Unsatisfied with the answer, she chewed her lip in consideration. A vulgar habit, her mother had always told her, but Mother wasn’t here. Salvatore Productions wasn’t a completely disreputable enterprise. In fact, Rebekah enjoyed _Midnight Romance_ in spite of its mediocre lead. What drew men to that Gilbert girl was lost on her. Nevertheless, the company was hardly worth postponing another project with Hitchcock.   
“Just tell me! You know I hate guessing games,” He couldn’t see her from the bar, but the pout was thick in her tone.

Finished refilling, he turned to give her a pointed look, “Petulance is a poor color on you,”

“And no one likes a tease, Nik,”

His melodrama, or so his family called it, made him well-suited to acting. It was a fair deduction. Drawing out suspense, prickling someone’s frustrations. It makes for delicious entertainment on and off set. Situating himself in the armchair across from her, he spoke, “There are rumblings that the Salvatore brothers are in a tight spot, mismanagement and poor returns it appears,”

Sobering up quickly, she narrowed her eyes at him, “And you plan to join a sinking ship?”

Ignoring the jibe, he leaned forward with a newfound glint in his gaze. “It will not be sinking once I’m navigating.”

Silence followed.

The paint was chipping, but the company had everything prepared. A new ownership, his ownership, could revitalize it. The opportunity was perfect, really. One man’s poor fortune really could be another’s pleasure. 

“Elijah was skeptical at first, but he agrees there is promise,” He continued, a mile away in thoughts of success. 

At the mention of their older brother, Rebekah reasons that there is a chance that the proposal wasn’t as ill-conceived as it sounded. Elijah was a devoted brother, when it came to Nik, to a fault. Nevertheless, he hardly would send Nik off on a wild goose chase. 

“Will you keep the name, then?” She teased, tossing a throw pillow towards him. “A Mikaelson as CEO of Salvatore Productions. Wait till Kol hears,”

……………………..

Pacing is not only unladylike, but it is also counterproductive to keeping one’s composure. Appreciating these universal truths, Caroline crossed her ankles and thanked God for the cat eye sunglasses. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept flitting to the door. In less than fifteen minutes, she would be in front of the press, promoting the start of filming _The French Quarter_ , the latest script full of murder, intrigue and romance. She would be telling the reporters just how excited she is to begin a project of a lifetime with the co-star of a lifetime. The public performance wasn’t making her anxious. Instead, it was the fact that her co-star was late. What a perfect first impression by the illustrious Klaus Mikaelson.

“Calm down, Blondie,” For many reasons, Damon Salvatore was hard to take, but she tolerated him since he was Stefan’s brother and actually pretty good at his job. “He’ll be here,”

“He should have been here an hour ago.” She snapped, flattening a non-existent wrinkle in her cherry print dress that was hugging her so tight that she might not be able to breathe after lunch. It had taken an hour to get ready this morning, pinning her loose curls and carefully putting on the perfect shade of red lipstick.

Damon shrugged, used to her moods and returned his focus to a worn copy of the script. Stefan had been up late last night working on major scene revisions and a new script meant adding to the schedule, which was already tight as is. 

Behavior like this is _exactly_ why Caroline didn’t want to work with Klaus. A few good films and men turned into unbelievably unmanageable big shots. It’s as if they thought the world revolved around them and the rest of humanity had to work around them. Working with egos was a part of the job, and she had already experienced her fair share of overzealous actors. They were easily maneuvered, like so many are. A flutter of her long lashes, a doe-eyed expression and they melted. But men like Klaus were more thick skulled and hard to bend. She hated working with men like him.

A loud clanging echoed in the empty hall. Damon and Caroline turned their attention to the source and, sure enough, there came their leading man. Wearing a clean-fitting black suit, he strolled towards them with a half-smile that had already won screams from the fans outside. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she stood up to meet him. As he came closer, she ran her eyes over him. As much as she might want to deny it, he was handsome. His ginger brown hair curled slightly and his clean-shaven look drew attention to his full lips. Thankful for the shades, she decided that the two of them would make a gorgeous poster. 

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Forbes,” He took her outstretched hand and pressed his lips gently against it. If she hadn’t been waiting for an hour, she might have charmed. 

“Likewise,” She offered a fake smile

“About time, Mikaelson,” Damon said drily, taking the actor’s hand.

“Apologies, mate,” He grinned, showing off dimples. Continuing in a playful tone, “Late night, I’m sure you understand,” 

Quickly understanding, Damon winked. “I’m sure I do,” Checking his watch, he nodded towards the door leading towards the press. “Are you ready?”

“Of course. Shall we, love?” His arm was outstretched towards her.

Taking off her sunglasses, Caroline didn’t bother hiding the irritation in her gaze. The actor’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, but he waited.

“Let’s do this,” She roped her arm through his and let him lead her down the hall. Damon followed a couple steps behind. Heels tapping against the tiled floor, Caroline knew she should bite her tongue. 

Wearing a sweet smile and speaking with a cheerful voice, she leaned closer to him before they reached the door. “I don’t know how you do things, but the professional standard is to stick to your word,”

The surprised look returned, before being replaced by something she didn’t recognize. A loud hum of conversation pounded behind the entrance. Hand on the door, he answered, “Sweetheart, I am the standard,”

Then he pushed open the door and the cameras flashed.


End file.
